My next washer will be a speed Queen purchased at our local appliance store.
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@Hoggirl : When you go to the local appliance store, ask them what they think about Speed Queens. Then report back here!
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My Kenmore top loader washer was having issues with spin cycle recently. I was surprised when I looked back at my files and found out weād had it for 18 years (through 3 boys and many scout camping trips, track/cross country/tennis/marching band practice clothes and uniforms). The older semi-retired appliance repairman (his son carried his tool bag for him) said it might be hard to get the part but he was able to do a work around and bypass something to get it working for now. For top loaders he mentioned Speed Queen and Fischer-Paykel as good in addition to Maytag/Whirlpool and ? that he said were basically all the same company. He said avoid Samsung because of recent fires. Now just my husband and I so we will be looking for a very basic top loader, probably a Maytag. Trying to decide with or without agitator. Our Kenmore dryer lasted 30 years and the Whirlpool replacement has done well so far. But they truly donāt make em like they used to.
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We were kind of planning on ordering ahead of timeā¦, but Iām not sure
Maybe @VeryHappy knows. I believe there was a new design to Speed Queen around when she got her washer. Prior to that, really there were few plastic parts. The newer ones have more plastic in them. I believe they are still great washers, but I donāt know anyone with one of the very newer ones.
I have a 27 year old Maytag washer and dryer. The Speed Queen is most similar to my old fashioned washerā¦and thatās what I want. I donāt need bells and whistles.
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It does seem to work a bit better and is gentler on clothes; no more occasional holes in fabrics.
When our old top-load decided it wanted to be replaced by stopping to function we were able to get a rebate from the local water company which helped a bit. Also Consumer Reports has a short writeup at 5 Things to Know About Front-Load Washers - Consumer Reports
As far as mold and mildew, our washer is in a place where we can leave the door open for a few hours to dry out. If it opened onto a hallway that might be more of a hassle.
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Thanks for the link. Hmmmā¦front loaders vibrate more - that could be an issue in our upstairs laundry closet.
When we needed a new washer a year or two ago, I did a lot of research. I was interested in a Speed Queen, but reviews of recent years are a little less positive than of previous years. I read a recommendation for a Maytag commercial washer (top loader), and thatās what I went with (direct from Maytag). It was less expensive than a SQ, but seems to be very well built. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but thatās fine with me. I can adjust water level, which I wanted. Iām 5ā0" tall, and I can remove everything from the washer.
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Wowser - on a lark I looked at Lowes washers. This Maytag supposedly has 4.3 (of 5) average rating. But soooo many recent bad reviews https://www.lowes.com/pd/Maytag-3-8-cu-ft-High-Efficiency-Top-Load-Washer-White/1000402699
Our repair guy says the old Maytag washer/dryers were made MUCH better than anything currently available.
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@thumper1 : Youāre tickling something in my brain about the SQs changing right after I bought mine. If I were in the market, Iād ask the appliance saleman what he thinks.
BTW, I purposely got my SQs with dials, not buttons. If something goes wrong, I think itās easier and cheaper to repair.
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Is this your repair guy? 
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I am short too and am able to reach down into our Sears (made by LG) washer and dryer no problem.No agitator. Those are annoying. Have had the washer/dryer set for quite a while (ooh I just checked- 12 years!) with no problem. Shortly after we got them there was a safety recall we were notified about and they came and addressed it promptly. It was some software thing. As an aside, If anyone wants a GE, let me know.
Love our old 1990 Maytag and was hoping new ones would also be good when we need to replace it. I was shocked how many 1 and 2 star reviews on that one example link.
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I loved our Maytag Neptune washer and dryer! The washer lasted 20 years. It was still going strong when the rubber gasket began to come loose from the tub (front loader). I had two different repair guys. The official Maytag guy said they donāt make the gaskets any more, āEnd of story.ā (That will be $140 for the house call.) The unofficial guy thought he could order a gasket that might work, but advised against this route since apparently the labor to put the gasket on is hard and expensive. Also, the gaskets are stored in a folded position, so they are creased and can have weak spots do to age. RIP lovely washer.
We just replaced it with a Speed Queen, also front loader. The gasket seems much hardier and has smaller surface area. Fingers crossed for another 20 years. It does a good job with everything from delicates to teenage boy sports gear. The only thing I donāt like about it is that the beep to tell you itās done is too quiet (even on the max setting) and it doesnāt keep chiming until you open the door. The Neptune was great that wayāit would remind you every five minutes that your wash was done.
They did try to tell me that our Neptune would be recycled and the metal would get used, but I donāt trust that. I hate the idea of millions of washers and dryers sitting in dumps and landfillsš. I hope a long lasting washer is always an option for consumers. I think thereās actually a lot of demand for that.
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Our Maytag washer/dryer is over 30+ years old. Only one repair so far and the repair guy told me to only replace parts (if possible)in the future since they donāt make this kind of motors (lasting a long time) anymore.
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Steel etc. is so expensive now you bet these things get recycled!! Even at our dump, the workers watch what customers bring and direct them to place anything metal into a special bin.
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Iām glad to hear it!
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This is timely! Our Maytag dryer just stopped heating. I checked the serial/model numbers and looks like it was manufactured in April 1999. It conveyed with the house in 2015, and we replaced the matching washer with a Samsung in 2016 (top loading, no agitator 
).
We did check the ducts and they are not clogged so husband is going to contact our appliance repair guy to see if he recommends repair or replace. Other than occasionally tangling sheets etc., it has been satisfactory. It looks like dryers are in the $800-1100 range so Iām thinking repair makes sense? I do like new appliances but perhaps an old Maytag is worth keeping. Itās a gas dryer.
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My Maytag Neptune, bought in 2004, is still going strong. We had the not heating problem once, and I donāt remember what it was, but they fixed it for a reasonable price. I hope the same for yours!
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